


Caught on Fire

by tveckling



Category: Romeo And Juliet - All Media Types
Genre: Alcohol, F/M, Happy, Kissing, M/M, Mercutio is drunk, Post-Wedding, Tybalt is suspicious and grumpy, Wedding Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-21
Updated: 2015-08-21
Packaged: 2018-04-16 12:09:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4624785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tveckling/pseuds/tveckling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>No one died, Juliet got her Romeo, and now the two families have been connected by marriage. Tybalt, however, isn't keen on joining the celebrating crowd; good thing there's Mercutio to wear him down.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Caught on Fire

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SosearchingRomeo (Breakingthestandards)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Breakingthestandards/gifts).



With the wedding ceremony over all the guests had moved on to the partying and dancing part of the evening. Tybalt was sitting alone at a table in the corner, stubbornly nursing the same glass of wine he’d nursed for an hour; while the rest of his family seemed to forgotten all about what the Montagues had done Tybalt would not let down his guard. Nobody knew what the treacherous Montagues would do. He watched as Juliet swirled past in Romeo’s arms, her laugher bringing back youthful memories and temporarily made him forget his suspicion of the other party-goers. She used to laugh like that with him too, careless and happy, when she tried to teach him how to dance. Tybalt had always been told he had two left feet and so many who tried to teach him gave up, but not Juliet.

A small smile twisted his lips as he remembered how Juliet would stay with him for hours every day, painfully trying to teach him the right steps without ever complaining when he inevitably stepped on her. She had always been the most stubborn person in the family and as he glanced at the newly-wed couple it just reconfirmed his opinion. If Juliet wanted something, no power in the world could stop her from chasing after it, whether it was a man or teaching her cousin to dance.

A shadow fell over him, bringing him back to reality with a jerk. Once he saw who it was Tybalt rolled his eyes with a grimace.

“You might think you’re looking solemn and strong, a sturdy rock in the ever changing ocean, but really, dear Tybalt, you’re just looking sad and lonely. Come and dance! Join the festivities! Even a sour face like yours should smile on a night like this,” Mercutio said and leaned down unsteadily into Tybalt’s face, pushing the corners of his mouth up in what he thought a smile should look like. When Tybalt swatted his hands away he only laughed.

Tybalt, however, felt like he had been frozen as he watched Mercutio laugh. There was nothing out of the ordinary with Mercutio, but somehow Tybalt found his breath catch in his throat. A thought entered his mind, unbidden and unwanted but stubbornly staying, just like the laughing man less than a feet away. With his breath practically oozing alcohol, his hair wild and unruly, a faint sheen of sweat across his skin from dancing for hours, and darkened eyes watching Tybalt’s every move Mercutio appeared just like a modern day Dionysus. He was absolutely radiant. Tybalt couldn’t stop his hand from reaching out - for what, though, he didn’t know, as he managed to stop himself before his hand had gotten more than halfway to Mercutio.

Mercutio, however, only laughed and gripped Tybalt’s hand, taking it as an invitation to pull him up on his feet, although he almost toppled over backwards in doing so. “See, you can’t deny that you’re itching to get out on the floor.”

Tybalt stuttered and glared, but didn’t pull his hand away. “You’re drunk,” he said accusingly.

“And you’re not nearly drunk enough,” Mercutio gave back with another laugh.

Despite his whole being screaming in protest Tybalt let himself be dragged out amongst the people -very, very many people, had there really been this many at the ceremony?- and tried not to make eye contact with anyone. He stared instead at Mercutio’s hand, focusing on the warmth and unexpected softness of it. When Mercutio stopped he was still staring down at their clasped hands, and it wasn’t until a shot glass with oddly colored liquid was shoved into his face that he raised his eyes.

Mercutio winked as he waited for Tybalt to accept the glass. “Like I said, you’re not nearly drunk enough. I have the horrible suspicion that you’ll remain a stiff and awkward body unless you get something hot in you, and we can’t have that, now can we?” He shook the glass lightly, grin widening when Tybalt cautiously took it.

The liquid in the shot glass was definitely not wine, and Tybalt tried sniffing to see if he could get a whiff of some familiar smell. It was done in vain, however, as he didn’t recognize it, and he narrowed his eyes at Mercutio. “What is this?”

Mercutio tutted and downed a glass of his own -and where had he even gotten that from? Mercutio was making Tybalt too distracted- and made a quick grimace. “Something stronger than what you were drinking. Don’t look so glum, drink! It’s nothing harmful. Don’t you trust me?” Mercutio batted his eyes and the response his question so obviously deserved was at the tip of Tybalt’s tongue, but he bit it back and instead raised the glass to his mouth. Mercutio’s eyes widened in surprise and his face split into a wide smile.

The smile only widened -however that was possible- when Tybalt started coughing at the burning in his throat. Mercutio happily patted Tybalt’s shoulder until he had gotten his breath back into something close to normal.

“What- what was that?” Tybalt asked hoarsely.

“That, my friend, was absinthe. High quality, even. A friend of mine knows where to get it for a reasonable price. I hope you’re feeling honored that I’m even sharing,” Mercutio said gravely with a hand on his chest.

“Immensely,” Tybalt said with a roll of his eyes. Mercutio laughed and grabbed his hands and _pulled_.

The collision almost brought them both to the ground, Mercutio stumbling but ultimately staying upright, but while Tybalt spluttered trying to find words Mercutio only kept laughing. While he'd normally get annoyed by the sound Tybalt now imagined the sound caressing his skin, sinking down into the deepest parts of him and making it all brighter, less gloomy, and he stopped his futile search of words. Mercutio’s eyes sparkled as he started dancing, his drunken body suddenly becoming gracious, and Tybalt once again froze as he watched transfixed. He forgot there were people around him, people who could very well be his enemies. All that he could see was Mercutio, moving and laughing and looking at him-

“Dance, Tybalt. Don’t just stand there. Dance!”

Tybalt came back to himself with a jerk, quickly looking around and trying to discern if anyone was laughing at how he was making a fool of himself. Mercutio’s hands were warm and soft, yet firm, when they grasped his face and turned it back.

“Don’t think, just dance. No one cares but you.”

Mercutio moved his hands from Tybalt’s face down his arms, giving his hands a quick squeeze before he started dancing again, this time keeping a firm grip on Tybalt’s hands and so making him to move too. Tybalt felt more awkward than ever and forced himself to look at and focus only on Mercutio, pushing away any thoughts about their surroundings. Mercutio nodded encouragingly. They moved together for a while, Tybalt finding it easier to move to the rhythm the more he followed Mercutio.

Then Mercutio stilled and listened for a moment before his face split into another wide grin, and he threw his arms around Tybalt. After a moment Tybalt realized the music had changed into a slow, romantic tune, and he froze for the third time that evening. Mercutio rolled his eyes and leaned forward, putting his mouth next to Tybalt’s ear and sending shivers down Tybalt’s spine. “People are only going to notice if you freak out now. Keep dancing.”

For a moment Tybalt’s mind warred with itself, should he turn around and leave or pretend he wasn’t suddenly tripping over his own feet again? Seeing how Mercutio had begun frowning made the decision for him, and he slowly put his own arms around Mercutio’s middle. When the annoyed expression changed into a dazzling smile, directed towards _him_ , Tybalt stumbled, but either he managed to not trample Mercutio’s feet or Mercutio was very skilled at keeping any discomfort out of his face, because he just laughed and guided Tybalt into dancing properly.

The shivers still ran along Tybalt’s spine and he was acutely aware of how close he and Mercutio were, how their faces were only inches apart. Mercutio barely blinked, his eyes boring into Tybalt’s, and he looked almost thoughtful. Mercutio’s eyes were so very blue. Tybalt found that he couldn’t look away; it was like his whole being was being studied and weighed. When the music ended and Mercutio glanced away it felt almost like a weight had been lifted and Tybalt could breathe easily again.

He opened his mouth, to say something that he would surely regret later, but hesitated when Mercutio turned back. The intensity of his gaze made the words disappear from Tybalt’s mind, and he barely noticed when Mercutio cupped his face and leaned forward. The touch of Mercutio’s lips, however, sent a jolt through Tybalt’s body and his eyes closed instinctively. What began as a soft, almost shy kiss soon turned deeper as Tybalt gripped Mercutio’s hips hard and Mercutio moaned low in his throat. The taste of Mercutio -absinthe, a faint trace of smoke, and something somehow dry, something uniquely Mercutio- filled his mouth and Tybalt found himself wishing for it to never disappear. A hand found its way into Tybalt’s hair, gripping hair hard enough to hurt, although Tybalt was too focused on the kiss to notice, while the other pressed against Tybalt’s neck, softly caressing the skin there.

Eventually the lack of breath forced the two apart, and Tybalt stared open mouthed at Mercutio, who didn’t look half as ruined as Tybalt felt. It made him want to crush their mouths together again and do his best to make Mercutio’s ever present sense of control disappear.

Before he could decide on what to do, however, Mercutio grinned and winked. “You’re a much better kisser than you look. Look me up when you have time, and we'll have some fun, okay?” He blew a kiss at Tybalt, took a few quick steps back, and disappeared, leaving Tybalt staring.

A choked sound from behind him made Tybalt turn around, his thoughts still on the taste of Mercutio lingering in his mouth and what exactly had happened, but reality crashed into him hard when he saw Juliet ready to positively burst with glee and Romeo looking just as shell-shocked as Tybalt felt. Tybalt closed his eyes and cursed Mercutio darkly. He would pay.


End file.
